Ardbeg released their latest expression about six months ago called the Smokiverse, which got us excited and curious at the same time. The excitement comes from us being huge fans of the brand, but the curiosity stems from wondering if Ardbeg can fill in the big shoes they’ve already crafted through its other expressions like the Uigeadail, Corryvreckan, or the most commonly-loved Ardbeg 10.

At face value, Ardbeg doesn’t leave a lot of hints on the Smokiverse’s background, other than its high-gravity mashing. This method involves decreasing the amount of water in the mash tun and adding more grain, resulting in a denser fermentation. On paper, this is supposed to increase the intensity of flavours and bring out the fruitier notes.

But other than that, there’s no mention of age expressions or cask types, so everything that Smokiverse has to offer will just need to be experienced firsthand. Because, just as the label says, the Smokiverse is a ‘high gravity experiment’, and thus it is up to us scientists (ha) to come up with the conclusion.

First off, the colour. This expression looks light in the glass, just a tad darker than straw. Not surprising, seeing how Ardbeg’s other offerings are pale in relation to the range of other Scotch whiskies. And perhaps it’s a placebo, but this coincides with the equally bright aroma and mouthfeel that we will explore in a bit.

On the nose, you have to wait for the acetone-like aromas to dissipate, and we mean acetone in a good way, because it almost leans into the liquorice and vanilla notes. The heavy acetone effect is probably a byproduct of the fermentation method. 

After a while, Smokiverse conjures thoughts of fruitcake with a robust serving of malt. But make no mistake, the trademark peat notes that Ardbeg is known for is still present. Just not in the amounts I’m used to in its other expressions. Surprisingly, it’s not as smoky as its name would lead us to believe. All in all, there is still a lightness to it, not very dark and complex despite the mix of these elements. 

On the palate is where it gets interesting, because you start off with an oily mouthfeel that quickly evolves into a sort of sharpness. This zing is also the reason why we associate words like ‘bright’ and ‘vibrant’ with it.

There is a sour glow that you get on the sides of your tongue that disappears the moment you focus on it. But when I let it linger in my mouth, I get taken back to the time I took up baking during the pandemic. Maybe it’s yeast I’m thinking of. Regardless, Ardbeg does include toasted sourdough bread as one of its tasting notes, and that’s what dominates my palate, even throughout its long, spicy finish.

The Ardbeg Smokiverse provides a rather satisfying dram, one that can be enjoyed on most occasions, and despite its 48.3% ABV and peaty flavours, it will still be a good option for new whisky drinkers to experience what Islay has to offer. The only downside here is that there are so many amazing options to pick from within the distillery, so if you go Ardbeg, you might end up being too spoiled for choice.